FullSlate Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Whenever a new film festival slate goes up, obviously I go right to the horror section. And (thanks Matt!) it certainly looks like South By Southwest 2008 has its share of nasty surprises for me, but I'm also pretty excited about the rest of their line-up too. In addition to juicy titles like Dance of the Dead, Southern Gothic and (ahem) Registered Sex Offender, we'll also get to see promising stuff like Stop-Loss, Battle in Seattle, 21, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Shine a Light, Run Fatboy Run, Harold and Kumar 2, and a whole bunch more.

Plus SXSW is well-known for their documentary slates (regular doco and music-oriented doco), their attention to Texas cinema, and (of course) their ability to throw one helluva midnight show. The full 2008 SXSW film list (complete with external reviews!) can be enjoyed after the jump, or you can feel free to click through the official SXSW website. This year it looks to be me, Jette, Erik and Eric on the scene (with a few surprise contributors!), so if you can't make the festival, rest assured that the Cine team will bring you all the sights, sounds and smells. (Yes, smells. The BBQ is that damn good.)

Oh, and the film section of SXSW (they also do music and interactive festivals at the same time) runs from March 7 to 15. If you see one of us there, definitely say hi. Our secret code phrase will be "Dude. Cinematical is so awesome." And now, on with the movies...

Last year was somewhat of a rough start for the After Dark Horrorfest, and I'm basing that statement solely on the movies the event had to offer. The eight "official" titles were The Abandoned, Dark Ride, The Gravedancers, The Hamiltons, Penny Dreadful, Reincarnation, Unrest and Wicked Little Things. I've seen 'em all and I'd call The Gravedancers the best of the bunch, with the dry-but-passable The Abandoned a close second. The rest ... meh.

So it is with much geeky excitement that I share a new opinion: Horrorfest 2007 is guaranteed to be an improvement over last year -- and I can say that with some confidence because I've already seen three of the chosen flicks, and all three of 'em are worth seeing. Regarding the other five, I heard good things about some and really negative things about others ... but here's what the overall slate looks like for this year. (Synopses are taken from the official Horrorfest website.)

Borderland -- "When three Texas University students travel to a Mexican border town on the eve of their graduation, the last thing they expect is to face their own deaths. Without warning, they fall prey to an ancient blood cult hellbent on finding candidates for human sacrifice. Based on true events, Borderland tells a story which blends the raw fear of Texas Chainsaw Massacre with the stark reality of In Cold Blood, evoking a world soaked in paranoia, fear, and dread." (Starring Rider Strong, Jake Muxworthy, Brian Presley and Sean Astin, directed by Zev Berman) ** I saw this one last March at SXSW. It's southern-fried survival horror with a splash of satanism mixed in. Full review here.

The Deaths of Ian Stone -- "On an otherwise ordinary night, the young Ian Stone encounters a mysterious creature and is forced into the path of an oncoming train. Rather than facing certain death, Ian finds himself reborn into a new life that feels strangely familiar. After his second death, it becomes apparent that Ian is being hunted by an evil presence, and will be forced to die every day until he can solve the mystery of his own life." (Starring Mike Vogel and Christina Cole, directed by Dario Piana) ** I know next to nothing about this one.

Frontier(s) -- "When a small gang of criminals takes refuge in an isolated country inn, their welcome is less than warm. As the evening wears on, the young outlaws are subjected to a macabre nightmare where blood flows and screams flood the night." (Starring Karina Testa and Sameul Le Bihan, directed by Xavier Gens) ** Caught this last month at Toronto. Full review here.